There are days when I wish HBO's True Blood wasn't based on a popular book series. I'm the type of person who likes to avoid spoilers as much as possible, but because Alan Ball's creation closely follows the plot of the novels, spoilers are almost impossible to ignore. There were plenty of intriguing mysteries set up in the show's first season finale that I could probably find answers to on Wikipedia, but I'd rather theorize, speculate, and see how things play out when True Blood returns for its second season next summer.

Read on to see which mysteries and cliffhangers spoiler-free fans will be stressing out over as we anxiously wait for the vampire drama to return.

What happened to Lafayette?

Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) is one of my favorite characters on True Blood, so I'd love to live in denial and believe that he'll be alive and well in season 2. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. The show needs some sort of mystery for the second season, and Lafayette being killed by some strange force is a good setup. I'll continue holding out the slightest hope that the foot with the painted toenails that fell out of Andy's car belongs to someone else, but it's highly unlikely.

Following the scene where Lafayette was attacked, Bill (Stephen Moyer) told Sookie that he fed after rising from the ground. This was obviously meant to make us wonder whether Bill is responsible for Lafayette's death, but I can't see that being the case. Even in his most weary, blood-hungry state, I can't imagine Bill attacking one of Sookie's friends. He'd also have no reason to plant the body in Andy's car.

If Bill's not responsible, who is? It could be Maryann, who we still know nothing about. It could be the senator or one of his goons, especially after Lafayette confronted him in the previous episode. Immature vampire Jessica is also on the list of suspects. She certainly wouldn't hesitate to kill a human being if given the chance. These are just a few of many possibilities, proving that True Blood's next big mystery is going to be just as tough to figure out as this season's.

What's the deal with Maryann?

Here's what we know about Maryann: she somehow knows Sam (Sam Trammell) and his secret, she likes to hang out with a pig, she's too nice to be trusted, and she has some sort of power. Other than that, Maryann remains a mystery. Her presence in Bon Temps is enough of a threat to convince Sam to throw some money in a bag and possibly skip town, but why is he so afraid of her?

My theory is that Maryann could be another shape-shifter, which would explain why she was standing naked in the middle of the road in her first episode. Maybe she and Sam had some sort of crazy shifter relationship and bad breakup. Is that why she had her minion delete his messages off Tara's phone?

What will become of the Fellowship of the Sun?

I love Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten), but he sure is gullible. He has a knack for stumbling into terrible situations, and it doesn't look like that's going to change in season 2. The first season found him being led around by his penis, but now it looks like his brain will be the organ getting him into trouble. Associating with a cult-like anti-vampire church is a very bad idea.

I'm excited about the Fellowship of the Sun storyline, if only because it'll allow Alan Ball to introduce a metaphor for the insane real-life Westboro Baptist Church. Someone had to put up that "God hates fangs" sign that we see during the opening credits every week, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Fellowship is responsible.

Which mystery are you most interested to see play out in season 2 of True Blood? Sound off below.